Electrochemical gas sensors of the type that are commonly used in portable and fixed instrumentation are frequently employed in diverse and sometimes extreme operating environments. Most sensors would be expected to function continuously at temperatures between −20 degrees C. to 40 degrees C. and 15% to 85% ambient humidity, and intermittently at even more extreme conditions.
Operating electrochemical cells at the extremes of the their respective operating range for extended periods of time can lead to performance degradation as the internal electrolyte composition responds to the external environmental conditions. For example such cells may lose or gain water in response to their respective working environments.
The recent trends towards smaller cell package size means that cell performance is even more susceptible to extremes of environmental conditions. Under continued operation this might result in significant degradation in cell performance or even failure.
There thus continues to be a need for systems and methods which support gas sensor operability at or in extreme external environmental conditions. Preferably, such enhanced operability could be provided relative to known types of electrochemical gas sensors.